Some years ago, when my daughters were teenagers, they taught me an expression that I think of from time to time: Too much information. After a day of reading newspapers, scanning the news on the Internet and watching the evening TV news, I’ve come to the conclusion that we are getting much too much information.

If I could shut off the airwaves, the first thing I’d do is block almost all news from Washington. At a time when the country is slowly rebounding from the worst recession in memory, it’s time to cut off any stories that feature John Boehner, Mitch McConnell, Harry Reid or Nancy Pelosi. I don’t want to see another photo of John McCain, one of the bitterest old men in the capital city. I don’t want to see another report about President Obama until he announces a deal to avoid another fiscal cliff.

Just think about it. The stock market is booming. Housing starts are picking up, as potential buyers are more confident. The latest jobs report is showing a new infusion of jobs. People on the sidelines with money are starting to invest in new projects. We still have a lot of problems, but it’s time to shut down those doom-and-gloom people in Washington and keep them off the TV screens and our computers until they have something positive to report.

After the horrendous slaughter of innocent children in Newtown, Conn., everyone thought there was a fighting chance that Congress would pass some kind of meaningful gun control laws. Is it asking too much to require a background check on anyone buying a gun in a country that already has 300 million guns in circulation? It’s been three months since 20 youngsters were gunned down, and it looks like Congress is poised to do nothing. Everyone knows that the National Rifle Association is wholly owned by gun manufacturers, yet the majority of members of Congress are afraid that they’ll lose their jobs in the next election.